1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to the game of basketball generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel basketball net that is easily and quickly installed on, and removed from, a fixed basketball hoop.
2. Background Art.
The well known game of basketball is played on a court with at least one elevated horizontal hoop mounted to a backboard at one end of the court. The hoop is circular with an inside diameter of 18 inches. Usually, a net is attached to and depends from the perimeter of the hoop. The presence of the net gives a satisfying "swish" sound as a basketball passes through the hoop and net and, also, the presence of the net decreases the ball's velocity and, therefore, the distance the ball will travel from the court once a ball passes through the net.
Unfortunately, basketball courts on outdoor playgrounds frequently have hoops without nets. This scenario is extremely commonplace in large cities and many other places as well. Often, the hoops do not even have hooks on which to secure a net.
There have been some attempts to provide removable basketball nets:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,812, issued Dec. 19, 1989, to Moormann, describes a basketball hoop with a net attached thereto, the hoop being insertable in a bracket placed over the upper edge of a door or other elevated structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,995, issued Mar. 6, 1990, to Apo, describes a basketball net assembly having an annular collar to which a basketball net is attached. The collar has an outwardly facing flange at the top thereof so that the collar may be supported inside the opening of a fixed basketball hoop by the flange engaging the upper surface of the hoop. The arrangement substantially decreases the regulation 18-inch inside diameter of the hoop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,091, issued Mar. 24, 1992, to McGivern, describes a basketball net support which comprises a twisted wire rod which is bendable into the shape of a basketball hoop and the ends of the rod then attached together. Snap-together fastening straps support the rod below a basketball hoop. The net depends from the rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,642, issued Jun. 23, 1992, to Stokes, describes a net attachment system for a basketball hoop which includes a circular ring to which the basketball net is attached. The ring is supported below the hoop by means of hooks which extend upwardly from the ring and over the hoop.
The above net installation systems variously suffer from the disadvantages of complexity and/or substantially decreasing the inside diameter of a basketball hoop.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a net assembly for a basketball hoop that can be easily and quickly installed on, and removed from, a basketball hoop.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a net assembly that is rugged.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a net assembly that is economically manufactured.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a net assembly that does not substantially decrease the inside diameter of a basketball hoop.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.